Greece will help Ukraine in its dialogue with the EU on the relaxation of visa requirements for Ukrainians, Culture and Tourism Minister of Greece Pavlos Geroulanos has said.
"Ukraine may find an ally in Greece in the matter of the simplification of the procedure for issuing Schengen visas," the Greek minister said at a press conference in Kyiv on March 26.
"We’re trying to use every opportunity to simplify the obtaining of visas by Ukrainian citizens… We will also promote the idea of the simplification of the issuing of visas to the citizens of your country," he said.
Gerulanos said that at the upcoming summit of the G-20 in Mexico, Greece would demand that the issue of visa facilitation, including for citizens of Ukraine, be raised.
"I personally believe that at present the issue of visas is an anachronism in modern Europe and the simplification of issuing visas for the citizens of your country is the least we can do, and this is something that can contribute to the development of our state as well," the minister said.
According to the minister, some 16 million tourists visited Greece in 2011, including 85,000 – 90,000 from Ukraine. In 2010, around 60,000-62,000 Ukrainian tourists visited Greece, the minister said.
Source: KyivPost
